BROOKLYN, NY — The Medgar Evers College (MEC) Chemistry and Environmental Sciences Department will host its Second Annual Cannabis Education Showcase on Saturday, April 29, 2023, from 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM at the Bedford Building Quad, 1650 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn.
Co-sponsored by the Legacy Core Foundation, Universe City, and Grow Brownsville, this free grassroots celebration of New York’s vibrant cannabis community will spotlight diversity in the emerging cannabis industry with panel discussions, food, art, music, and performances, including a special live set by Brooklyn legends Soul Summit Music. However, the day’s highlight will occur at 1:00 pm with a special announcement of the new Cannabis Degree Programs and Supporting Initiatives expecting approval by the Fall 2023 semester. These initiatives will position MEC, a Predominantly Black Institution in the CUNY system, as the epicenter for accessible, high-quality cannabis education.
“What matters most to us is positively impacting people’s lives. Cannabis education provides a unique opportunity to arm people with the knowledge they can use and pass on to others,” said Dr. Alicia Reid, chair of the MEC Chemistry and Environmental Science Department. “That’s why, day in and day out, we put in work to ensure that our communities most negatively impacted by the cannabis war on drugs now have access to knowledge and training tools to enter and thrive in that same booming cannabis industry.”
“Legacy constituents put New York cannabis on the map and built an infrastructure that the licensed industry now stands on,” said Vikiana Reyes Clement, cannabis education student at MEC, cannabis research grant program coordinator, and founder of Legacy Core. “The knowledge and experience of legacy practitioners are invaluable, and we all stand to gain tremendously from their wisdom.”
The event, staged entirely outdoors, rain or shine, will feature panel discussions covering updates on Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensaries (CAURD), Student Entrepreneurship, How the Community is Healing from the War on Drugs, and Legacy, Shifting the Narrative. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from MEC staff and students, as well as experts in the field, to learn about the latest developments in the cannabis industry and engage in meaningful conversations about social justice, entrepreneurship, and community healing.
In addition to the panels, the event will include food trucks, art, and conversations that highlight the rich diversity of the cannabis community. Entertainment activations include Afro-Caribbean drumming by The Sound, a live Bachata performance by Savi Tunes, music by Livity Movements, and a rapturous afternoon set by Brooklyn’s legendary Soul Summit Music.
Introduced during the fall 2021 semester, the MEC Cannabis Degree Minor Program was the first cannabis degree minor program in NYC. Exemplifying its core mission to provide educational workforce development and opportunities for economic expansion, MEC’s expanded cannabis degree programs feature the skill-building instructional support needed to foster new cannabis leaders and the workforce necessary to support the budding industry.
Everyone is welcome to attend the event. However, it is important to note that MEC does not allow cannabis consumption on campus. To register for the Second Annual MEC Chemistry and Environmental Sciences Outdoor Cannabis Degree Minor Showcase, please visit Eventbrite.com.
About Medgar Evers College
Located in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Medgar Evers College offers associate and baccalaureate degrees. A four-year college within the City University of New York (CUNY) system, Medgar Evers College was established in 1970 with a mandate to meet the educational and social needs of the Central Brooklyn community. In its commitment to providing students with a sound academic foundation and an opportunity for personal development, Medgar Evers College offers high-quality, professional, career-oriented degree programs within the context of a liberal arts education. Medgar Evers College is part of NASA’s Space Grant Project and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund as a predominantly black institution. For more information about MEC, visit mec.cuny.edu.
For more information on the program, visit:
www.mec.cuny.edu/cannabis-education
www.mecgrow.com
